Chapter 65: Secret Story

After reporting my return from the mining operation and giving a brief summary of the results, I was on my way back to the escort unit when Elaine spoke to me.

“What were you talking about with the Commander earlier?”

She had let me go without hesitation, but it seemed she was still curious.

Would it be a bad idea to tell Elaine?

Arthur had advised me not to share my suspicions about the DeepSnow family with anyone.

To be honest, I trusted Elaine more than I did Arthur.

But precisely because of that, I hesitated to tell her.

It was like how it was easier to confide in strangers about certain things, while keeping secrets from family felt much harder.

Arthur was an experienced, composed veteran.

He had years of knighthood under his belt and had honed his political instincts and diplomatic skills.

He also had a surprisingly sly side.

Elaine, on the other hand, was just as skilled as Arthur in combat—

But despite her outwardly bold demeanor, she was deeply thoughtful and meticulous when it came to matters concerning Grace or me.

If she learned about my suspicions regarding the DeepSnow family, she might insist on investigating thoroughly—

And in doing so, she could end up stirring the hornet’s nest.

I had to remember—

The betrayer from the novel had yet to commit any crime.

There wasn’t even circumstantial evidence against them.

If they were provoked prematurely, things could spiral out of control in a way even my knowledge of the novel couldn’t prepare me for.

Still, if a traitor did make a move, the escort captain being completely unaware of the possibility wasn’t ideal.

So I decided to drop a small hint—just enough to ensure she wouldn’t be caught off guard if something happened.

A warning subtle enough not to make her overly suspicious, yet enough to prepare her for unforeseen circumstances.

“It’s a secret.”

—”You’re already keeping secrets from me? At least give me an excuse.

It’s upsetting to know you’re hiding something from me.”

“…”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”

Seeing her sulk, I quickly put on a flustered expression, as if I had made a mistake.

“The Commander is someone trustworthy.

He’s not the type to recklessly share things with others.”

I deliberately made it seem like I was reluctantly agreeing to tell her.

“But I’ll explain in your office.”

“Hmm. It must be something important, then.

If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to tell me.

I don’t want to pressure you.”

“It’s not that important, but it’s still not something that should be overheard.”

“??”

Elaine tilted her head, now even more curious.

But seeing that her expression wasn’t too serious, I felt relieved.

I had successfully planted the idea that it was a secret, but not an urgent or dangerous one.

“The Commander wanted my perspective on the high-ranking officials.”

“You mean how they appear from the viewpoint of the escort knights?”

“Yes. As someone who directly serves Her Grace, he was curious about my impressions of the nobles, administrators, and military officers.”

Thankfully, this was a prearranged cover story.

Before Arthur left, I had asked him to coordinate our explanations, knowing that Elaine would likely ask about our conversation.

Arthur had initially suggested simply telling her that he had proposed a marriage alliance again—

But I had firmly rejected that idea.

Even Arthur had admitted that such an excuse would be weak.

Instead, I had proposed dropping a small hint to Elaine as a precaution.

Arthur agreed and assured me that even if the entire North turned against me, I could always trust Elaine.

“That’s an odd question for the Commander to ask.”

Elaine seemed thoughtful, trying to discern Arthur’s reasoning.

“…Unless.”

“……”

“Does he suspect there’s a spy among them?”

Her gaze sharpened, reflecting her instincts as the captain of the escort knights.

Since a spy had recently infiltrated Snowflake Tower and nearly caused a disaster, it made sense that her thoughts immediately went in that direction.

But I denied it right away.

There was no planted spy among the high-ranking officials of the Winter Palace.

As a reader of Brave Road, I could say that with absolute certainty.

In the novel, there had been only one traitor.

“It’s not that.

I think he just wanted to observe their reactions—see if anyone seemed particularly anxious or concerned about the situation.”

“If that was his goal, he could have just asked me. I could have given him a more detailed analysis.”

“He was probably looking for the perspective of someone new, someone without prior biases.

Plus, I think he appreciated my insight during the last council meeting.”

Elaine nodded, seeming to accept my explanation.

“The Commander does have an interest in young talent.”

But then, her expression darkened as another thought occurred to her.

“…I suppose that means he’s even more determined to bring you into the knight order.”

The marriage proposal was no longer a concern—

But the matter of my transfer to the main headquarters was still unresolved.

I had already made up my mind, and I had made my stance clear to Elaine.

But from her perspective, it was still an unsettling possibility.

Arthur was one of the North’s elders, after all.

If Arthur insisted on taking me in, even under the guise of a temporary trainee, Elaine wouldn’t be able to refuse.

She simply didn’t have the seniority to oppose him.

Of course, it was hard to imagine Grace sitting back and letting that happen.

I felt bad for Elaine as she worried about it—

But at the same time, I saw an opportunity.

People could only focus on so many things at once.

Even those capable of multitasking would naturally give more attention to one thing over the other.

If Elaine started dwelling too much on the possibility of a traitor, I could redirect her focus onto myself—

A way to balance her priorities.

“So, the Commander asked you about people’s reactions?

I suppose it makes sense. With a major war looming, he must be concerned about internal unrest.”

Elaine subtly shifted the topic, and I nodded in agreement.

“Our enemy isn’t some monstrous threat like demons—it’s people from our own kingdom.

There’s no way that wouldn’t cause some unease.”

“That’s true.

Even if they used underhanded tactics first and don’t deserve mercy…

It’s not exactly pleasant.”

Elaine, as the captain of Grace’s escort knights, had no tolerance for those who threatened the North.

But she was still a person of integrity.

A war against fellow humans couldn’t sit well with her.

“Should we conduct ideological training within the escort corps?”

“Ideological training?”

“Everyone in the escort corps is undoubtedly loyal to Her Grace.

But they’re still human—psychological pressure is inevitable.

We should reinforce their military mindset and remind them of their duty.

It would be a form of mental fortification.”

Drawing from my knowledge of modern military practices, I explained the idea.

Elaine’s face brightened for the first time since we started talking.

“That’s a great idea. You truly are an exceptional second-in-command.”

“That means I shouldn’t leave, right?”

“Of course. Absolutely not.”

“If you get jealous, I’ll make sure to stay by your side.”

“Don’t worry.

If you ever agree to transfer to the knight order’s headquarters…

I’ll announce our engagement to stop it.”

“???”

…What did I just hear?

I turned to look at her—

Only to find Elaine’s face turning bright red.

“Luke.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s… just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

She quickly lowered her head, pretending to focus on her paperwork.

Pretending being the key word.

Seeing her like this made me want to tease her a little.

“I was planning to be the one to propose, though.”

“Wha—!”

“I’m joking.”

“…Forget what I said earlier. That was a slip of the tongue.”

“How am I supposed to forget something like that?”

“…Let’s go out for dinner tonight.”

For us, “going out for dinner” was code for staying in and getting cozy.

And Elaine was someone who loved physical affection.

I had successfully planted the idea that there could be internal unrest in the North and that Arthur was taking precautions—

But I had also gained an unexpected bonus.

Ah, right.

Now that I thought about it, Elaine might know something.

Something about The Tragedy of That Day that had happened to Grace.

I had speculated that it was related to the escort corps—

But the name alone was ominous.

If I wasn’t careful, I could end up provoking Grace or digging into some dark chapter of the aristocracy’s history.

That was why I had avoided bringing it up before.

But according to Arthur, while the novel had presented things from an outsider’s perspective,

The incident itself was well-known enough that even common soldiers in the North had some awareness of it.

How should I ask about it naturally?

Even if it wasn’t some dark secret of the ruling class, there was still a chance it was a sensitive topic for Grace.

The novel had explained why the traitor betrayed Grace—

But it never revealed why the DeepSnow family had gotten caught up in the situation.

I knew about the betrayer,

But I didn’t fully understand the betrayal.

To uncover a crucial clue about the novel’s future events, I had to find out about The Tragedy of That Day.

Since Elaine was still flustered, I had a moment to think.

Finally, I settled on an approach.

“Captain.”

Elaine had calmed down by now, her complexion returning to normal.

“There was something from my conversation with the Commander that stuck with me.

Would it be alright if I asked you about it?”

“???”

Elaine, who had been wary that I might tease her again, looked at me with sharp focus.

“What is it?”

“It’s just that… when the Commander asked me about the people who visit the Winter Palace,

He seemed more focused on the nobles and officials rather than the military commanders.

Normally, wouldn’t it make more sense to ask about the military leaders, since they’re the ones directly involved in battle?”

I carefully phrased my question, recalling my conversation with Arthur.

I made sure it sounded logical, without raising unnecessary suspicion.

I didn’t mention the DeepSnow family by name.

I didn’t ask directly about past events.

And by including both nobles and officials, I broadened the scope of my question.

It was a query that could easily be dismissed as casual curiosity.

I thought I had handled it well.

And yet—

“……”

Elaine’s pen came to a halt.

Her face, which was already close to expressionless by nature, darkened.

I hesitated, wanting to ask about her reaction—

But something in my instincts told me I shouldn’t.

I had already spoken.

And the longer the silence stretched, the more the unease in my chest grew.

I carefully observed her, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Finally, Elaine spoke.

“I think I know why the Commander asked you that question.”

“?!”

Her voice was calm.

Far too calm.

Cold, even.

Her sharp gaze held a piercing clarity—

And an eerie chill.

My stomach twisted.

What part of my question was a mistake?

No… was the mistake asking at all?

People who don’t know something piece together clues one at a time.

But those who do know—

Can see the entire picture from just a single fragment.

Damn it.

In Brave Road, this had never been a major plot point.

I had assumed it was just background lore.

But I was wrong.

It wasn’t ignored because it was unimportant—

It was simply a story that had no connection to Aran, the novel’s protagonist.

To the people involved, it was far more serious than I had ever imagined.

Serious enough that I should never have even touched it.

“Luke.”

“Y-Yes?!”

Elaine’s voice no longer carried her usual warmth—

It was firm.

Tense.

I instinctively stiffened in response, my voice cracking slightly.

But she paid no attention to my reaction.

“This is a far more serious matter than you think.”

“……”

“It’s difficult to talk about.

But since I pried into your secrets earlier—

And since you are a member of the escort unit, as well as my lieutenant—

It’s something you should know.”

Elaine, looking unlike herself, let out a deep, heavy sigh before asking me:

“When Her Grace ascended the throne…

Are you aware of what happened in Wintercannon?”

“……I don’t know much about it.”

“You must have heard the official version.

That after the late Duke passed away,

His only child, Lady Grace, debated the succession with the great noble houses—

And ultimately chose to inherit the title,

Expelling the old nobility to usher in a new era.”

“……”

“But in truth, it was not so simple.

The crown she obtained…

Was a bloodstained one, won through tragedy.”

Elaine’s voice was lower than it had been even when she had spoken about fighting Rowe.

“And now that I think about it…

The anniversary is soon approaching.”

At that moment, I realized.

I was about to hear something—

A story that had never even been mentioned in the novel.

A hidden chapter of Northern history.

The truth behind the birth of Duke Grace.